When I got there on Saturday, the therapy kids were getting ready. I thought I had more time than I actually did, to get ready, lunge for a couple minutes, and then hop on and ride. We'd just started trotting when they all began filing into the arena. I didn't realize how small the space was until there were 5 horses in it, 4 of them with 2 people walking, and 1 riding. Wow. I ended up leaving the arena to stay out of the way - and one of the parents was nice enough to offer to open the round pen gate for me so I could ride in there. No biggie, we could use some work on circling properly anyway. I rode for a bit in there, and when they were finishing up, I came back out, and remounted, intending to try to cross the river a few times.
She wouldn't even walk toward it. She was convinced (I guess) that it was going to eat her alive, and she had to get us out of there as quickly as possible. It got so that I couldn't even get her to circle facing that direction. Grr. I made her stand, facing the bank, although too far away for my taste (damnit, to not having a whip with me and my legs being sore from the gym), and dismounted. I walked her closer to the bank to where my lunge line was sitting on a chair by the round pen, removed her polo wraps, attached the lunge line, tied up the reins, and let her down to the bank.
She followed me to the edge of the 4-wheeler ramp and planted her feet. Progress. Not sure why it is so much more scary if I am not beside her...it's not like I would actually sacrifice her to the minnows. I walked her in a small circle, and tried again. Planted again.
Ok...we're not playing this game today. I walked back up to the round pen, and grabbed my new friend the dressage whip. I only had to tap her twice, the first time we tried to cross. After that, she crossed 4 more times (so, 10 times, total). The last 2 times, I had no whip in my hand (I dropped it on the edge). And the last time we were crossing back toward the barn, I made her stand in it for about 2 minutes - until she looked around bored.
~*~
On Sunday, I decided not to ride because I really don't want her back getting sore, but lunged her for a bit in the round pen, and then long-lined her at a walk. We worked on softening, steering, and making sure she's using her hind end and starting to reengage it for me, so that she can build it up again. We did little figure 8s and a few small circles in the "corners."
When we were done, I took the surcingle and polos off, and then led her over to the river with the dressage whip in hand. She didn't stop, she didn't hesitate, she just walked right in after me, stood there for about 30 seconds, finished crossing, walked up the trail a bit then turned around and crossed again with no hesitation.
~*~
I think she's starting to lose a bit of weight already. It seems like I won't need the girth extender too much longer, it's already iffy being just tight enough. So, I am hopeful that in another few weeks, maybe I won't need to use it anymore. She doesn't seem to be getting beaten up in turnout - although she does have a 3 or 4 inch long cut on the inside of her right stifle, that was scabbed over on Saturday and looked pretty clean, so I didn't mess with it.
On Sunday, she had a surface scrape on the back of her right hind, just above the hock. She wasn't off at all, and it didn't seem sore to the touch. She let me clean it and put furazone on it with no fuss.
I need to buy another bottle of peroxide and a new spray bottle (it's great for those leg wounds, such an awkward angle to pour peroxide on). I completely didn't remember that the spray bottle I had with peroxide in it no longer sprays, but I wasn't terribly worried about the cuts, so I'll grab them next weekend.
No comments:
Post a Comment